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Foster Care and Adoption in Wyoming – Quick Facts

Foster care and adoption are important parts of American society. Children of all ages ranging from birth to eighteen years of age find themselves in this large and intricate system each day. How foster care and adoption are clarified and handled varies from state to state. In Wyoming foster care and adoption are taken just as seriously as in any other state. Here, I will discuss what foster care adoption is, their differences, eligibility requirements to be a parent in each, and how single parents and same-sex couples are taken into consideration in each as well as a few informational tidbits.

Foster Care in Wyoming

What is it?

Foster care is the taking in of a single child or set of siblings temporarily, possibly permanently, until an opening comes up for the said child(ren). In foster care the code of ethics is that the foster parent: regard their primary obligation to the welfare of the child served, work objectively with the agency in providing a plan for the child in care, be held responsible for the quality of the services performed, accept the responsibilities of the work geared toward obtaining and adhering ethical standards to who is providing the foster care services, and eight other codes of ethics. The philosophy of Wyoming foster care is that “A child deserves permanency” either with their family or with a temporary family. Each child and their case are treated individually and with great respect. Children placed in foster care are placed in that system for various reasons: when a child is seriously abused and for neglected either physically or emotionally or both after efforts were made to work out problems in the home has failed, when the child was abandoned or left alone for unreasonable lengths of time without supervision; when a child is asked to be placed in foster care by the parents because the child is routinely truant, has run away from home routinely disobedient to the reasonable and lawful demands of the parent(s)/guardian(s)/ custodian(s) and is out of control; when the parent(s) are unable to care for the child for whatever reason and asks for an intervention for days.

Who is eligible for foster care?

Those eligible for foster care must meet these requirements:

At least 21 years of age

Singles and couples

Good physical and mutual health

Financially stable

No history of substantiated abuse or neglect

No criminal history as defined by certification rules

How are foster parents paid? And how often?

Foster parents are paid by the state each month. In Wyoming, payment is determined by the age of the child(ren). Age’s birth to five pays $632, ages 6 to 13 pays $674, and ages 14 to 18 pays $730. I was not able to obtain further information due to the fact that the consultant, Holly, that I spoke to at the Evanston office did not send me the information via email as I had requested; Much less in a proper time period.

Can same-sex couples provide foster care in Wyoming?

Yes. Discrimination of the sort denies the right and eligibility of a citizen and the permanence, as Wyoming’s foster care philosophizes, that the child deserves.

Personal Observations and Comments

I was disappointed in the less than full participation I sought in turning to a consultant for further information. Aside from that, I have thought of being a foster parent when my life is more stable. Though for certain reasons, that which I do not wish to discuss, I fear I may be denied even though I have children of my own.

Adoption

What is the difference between private and non-private (state run) adoption?

One of the key differences in independent (private) and agency (state) adoption is the method that the birth parents consent to adoption. With an agency adoption, parents give their rights to the agency who in turn give those rights to an adoptive parent(s). In independent adoption, the potential parents seek out a birth mother who is looking adopt out her child(ren) by means of networking, advertising, or the Internet. In the case that they find a birth mother to adopt from, they are given their rights directly from the birth mother.

Who is eligible to be adoptive parents?

The eligibility of adoptive parents us very intricate. Many factors are involved which is why it can take so long for many to adopt. Some of these requirements are:

Adoptive parents may be married (at least three years in most cases) or single, with or without their own children.

And age of at least 18 years. Some agencies go as high as 40 years of age. In some situation, the adoptive parents(s) may need to be at least 20 years of age.

The age of the child, as a general rule of thumb, and the adoptive parents may be 40 years.

Though acceptations can and have been made.

A healthy adoptive parent is preferable but certain disabilities do not hamper the possibility of adoption by the perspective parent(s).

Must have stable income.

A clean drug and alcohol record.

Smokers are taken into consideration.

Depending on the agency or independent adoption, religion may or may not be a factor.

Employment stability.

The mother, in case of couples adopting an infant, may be asked to stay home for the first six months to ensure proper transition.

You must pass a criminal background check · You must relinquish a full medical history

Who are the adoptees in Wyoming

The child(ren).

What is the cost of adoption?

The cost of adoption can vary between $5,000 and $40,000 dollars. There may be a requirement of small fees. If at any agency you are asked to pay all fees up front, consult someone else because in some cases, payment plans and sliding fees may be an option for those on limited funds.

Can same-sex couples and single parents adopt in Wyoming?

Yes.

Personal Observations and Comments

I can now understand why it takes so long for adoptions to make a full cycle. I have both an adoptee and an adoptive parent. The adoptee being a friend of mine who was taken out of an abusive and neglectful home as a young child along with his siblings. He and his siblings weren’t able to all stay together so he only knows his younger sister. The adoptive parent, separate from my friend, was my Junior, Sophomore, and Senior art teacher in high school that had waited those three years to adopt a little girl from Asia. I have almost put a child up for adoption when I was pregnant in 2008 and was having relationship issues that forced me to compare the outcome of either putting a child up for adoption to save a relationship or raise the child on my own with my two other children. I decided not to adopt out if the relationship went south =, I would do my best to be a single Mom. I have had done it before. In the end, I lost the child in a miscarriage at four months gestation. I am glad I never choose either adoption. I am very much against abortion. Now I have a baby boy and am still in a relationship.